Design and Development of a Automated Robotic Welding System for Circular Components

In today’s era of mass production, there is a growing need for automating manufacturing processes that were previously done manually. Welding is one such process that can be automated to improve efficiency and accuracy. The conventional method of welding circular components involves moving the electrode along a circular path, which can be difficult and time-consuming. This paper presents the design and development of a cost-effective automated robotic welding system for circular components. The system consists of an indexing table for rotary motion of the component to be welded, a fixture design for welding gun fitment for angular motion during loading and unloading of the job, and a pneumatic cylinder for gripping the job and locating the welding gun. The main objectives of this research are to reduce operator effort and increase efficiency, generate smooth and finished job pieces, and make the system compatible with other applications such as sandblasting and spray painting. The paper also reviews relevant literature on special purpose machines for linear welding and new types of special welding robots. The proposed robotic welding system offers consistent weld quality, increased output, and decreased variable labor costs, making it an attractive solution for a wide range of applications.